Mayor Norris enters den of dam-lovers

Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris, who famously pushed an effort to dredge the existing reservoir, has agreed to sit on a panel stacked with such avowed dam-loving interests as Charlottesville Tomorrow's Brian Wheeler, the Free Enterprise Forum's Neil Williamson, and the mastermind of what some have blasted as an unnecessarily wasteful way to drum up additional water supply, Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority director Tom Frederick. The effort is a lunchtime discussion orchestrated by the equally dam-loving Chamber of Commerce boss Tim Hulbert and underwritten by Dominion Virginia Power. It's slated for 11:30am on January 28, so there may still be time to add former Supervisor and avowed dredging opponent Sally Thomas to the panel.

Anyone interested in what facts are and are not known to date, would be wise to refer to the extensive archive of articles about the water supply issue written by Hawes Spencer and the Hook staff. This series was awarded the 2008 Virginia Press Association's top prize last year: the Award for Journalistic Integrity and Community Service.

By clicking on my name you will go to Cvillewater.info where many more news stories and other documents are listed, as well as a complete time line of the decision making process.

I hope anyone who criticizes the accuracy of the Hook stories or our web-site will first read them. If there is a factual error, please let us know.

Perhaps it isn't a bias that is presented, by the Hook or our web-site, but rather, what the facts are telling us is true.

FactCheck January 6th, 2010 | 11:54am

All information in this article is accurate beyond a reasonable doubt. 5 stars for factual reporting.

Downing Smith January 6th, 2010 | 5:05pm

To sweet Dee: Would you mind telling us exactly what isn't true in the Hook's stories on the water supply issue? To the contrary the RSWA and the "water plan" supporters have spread lots of misinformation. If you would go to the website http://cvillewater.info/myths_redherrings.html
you will see almost 50 examples of misinformation spread by the supporters of the dam/pipeline. Can you give me 50 examples of inaccurate information in the Hook?

Sweet Dee January 6th, 2010 | 6:12pm

There appear to be two Sweet Dee's at work here. I made the first two posts and this one. An imposter made the last two.

I was referring to sarcastic tone of an article that uses such snide descriptors as "dam-loving interests" to describe anyone who has not adopted the Hook's staunchly anti-dam position. I was also making light of the Hook's continued and repeated cheerleading for one side of the issue. You cannot possibly deny that the writing on this topic in a supposedly unbiased news publication has been stilted. I will decline your offer to peruse the internet in search of cut-and-paste fodder. However, Sweet Dee #2 has already taken you up on your fact checking offer with the clearly biased, yet factually accurate Fox/Obama reference.

Citizens for A Sustainable Water Plan has spent two years studying the community water plan, in an attempt to get more accurate cost and environmental information, on which to base, what will be a huge investment for our community. Unfortunately, at present, there is very little accurate information available. We are grateful to Mayor Norris and the City Council for insisting that the "public good" demands; that we have more accurate cost estimates for the new dam at Ragged Mt. and the new pipeline, that must be built to make the dam viable. Also, they have demanded that the misinformation about dredging the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir for water supply be corrected with a new study, and an accurate cost and feasibility estimate be produced, before there is a decision to build a new dam at Ragged Mountain. 6 City Neighborhood Associations and over 500 petition signers, as well as many other citizens, have come forward in support of accurate dredging information, before building a new dam.

I am baffled, that business groups, such as: the Free Enterprise Forum and Chamber of Commerce, would support a plan with so little accurate cost information. One of the most respected businessmen in town, William Crutchfield, has called for this before proceeding.

Fact check this.
President Obama and congressional Democrats head into another strategy session Wednesday over health care reform after deciding Tuesday night to keep the final negotiations as GOP-free as possible by bypassing the traditional conference committee process.

FactCheck January 6th, 2010 | 6:06pm

Sorry, we are only fact checking articles that have to do with the water supply issue at this time.Just informed by CEO that recent layoffs have limited our staff time. Please let us know any item in the above mentioned article that you would like us to check for you.

Sisyphus January 6th, 2010 | 8:25pm

"Lunchtime discussion underwritten by Dominion Virginia Power." Guess DVP sees dollar signs--new pipeline, part of RWSA dam plan, from South Fork to Ragged Mt., powered courtesy of payments for electricity, to DVP, to run pumps, to pump water 9+miles, 320 feet uphill. The equivalent of pumping the third largest river in Albemarle County uphill. Wonder how much that will cost us ?

Businessperson January 7th, 2010 | 7:43am

Thank you Mr. Crutchfield, for your excellent letter. Instead of Sally Thomas, I suggest, Mr. Crutchfield be invited to serve on this panel. I also find it astounding that a group of businesspeople would not agree with his assessment.

I would be interested to know if members of the Chamber of Commerce agree with the Free Enterprise Forum, as I understand their position, that the dam/pipeline plan has been well vetted and should proceed without any new dredging information, and at any cost to the ratepayers. Or do you, as a Chamber member, agree with Mr. Crutchfield's position ?

Tim Hulbert January 7th, 2010 | 12:55pm

Name calling? How helpful.

Tim Hulbert

Music Lover January 7th, 2010 | 3:14pm

PLEASE but Bill Crutchfield on this panel. He will be neither dazzled by sparkly things nor baffled by bulls***, and he has no constituency to worry about upsetting by asking tough questions. He's extremely pragmatic, and I've never felt he is the kind of man so set in his ways that he isn't willing to visit the opposite side of an issue to get to the root of the problem.

He'd be a huge asset with no dog in the fight except his own common sense and business acumen, which is probably why they don't want him.

Carol January 7th, 2010 | 5:33pm

Mr. Hulbert could you clarify your comment. I don't see any name calling .

Richard Lloyd January 7th, 2010 | 8:58pm

Such fun to try and pick out personalities from the pseudo names.
Let’s see what we can divine about Ã¢â?¬Å?getoverit”. First it is easy to identify the small community of Charlottesville Tomorrow editorial supporters. Likely this person lives within several miles of Ivy, Va. Next, the word slutty implies a moral high ground often found among the wealthy women.
But the most concerning phrase is Ã¢â?¬Å?call a spade a spade”. That is a racially charged term from the 1950s or 1960s. Please refrain from using such terms, society has evolved.
As for Citizens for Sustainable Water. You omitted many members. The founder, former Mayors, lawyers, doctors. Do you really have any basic understandings? If you want to get together and discuss this OI would be pleased to buy you lunch.

Daniel 'midst lions January 6th, 2010 | 10:19am

Norris is no shrinking violet. If they have good arguments against dredging, he'll listen. But I bet they end up listening to him, and coughing and blushing and twiddling their thumbs in embarassment because they have no good arguments and they know it.

Sweet Dee January 6th, 2010 | 1:29pm

I'm sure that Fox news is "factually" accurate most of the time too. Yet its tone is unabashedly slanted. Same here.

FactCheck January 6th, 2010 | 3:26pm

Our organization only rates the article as written, thereby giving this a perfect score. We would be glad to rate a Fox article for accuracy if you could post it for our team of fact checkers

Businessperson January 7th, 2010 | 7:53am

City Council, an all democratic body, appears to be the business people in this affair. Now, that the Supervisors are in control of the Republicans; the party one usually thinks of as being cost conscious and looking out for taxpayers, we'll see if they truly are what they claim to be.

"Crutchfield’s first open letter back in late April presaged some of the ensuing controversy by blasting the decision to rely solely on that firm. This time, the man who built what may be Charlottesville’s biggest company, suggests that the water project is Charlottesville’s Ã¢â?¬Å?bridge to nowhere” and says it needs more Ã¢â?¬Å?business-like” processes.

Ã¢â?¬Å?The RWSA is pursuing a businesslike approach,” says Albemarle Board of Supervisors chair Ken Boyd. He says the Authority is Ã¢â?¬Å?taking a step back, gathering all the facts, and making a decision based on solid data, honest comparisons, and what is best for their customers.”

It may be useful to the community if the panel was composed of impartial, professional people who had experience in business and engineering. Crutchfield is one natural choice and I am sure there are others.

But to take vested people like Tom Federick, is not useful because everyone has already heard his position which is to support RWSA board policy. Mike Gaffney is the chair and was specifically chosen by City Council to represent the City Rate Payers. He has had precious little to say and it may be useful to hear his position first hand.

Judging from his prior writings and radio spots, Brian Wheeler appears biased in favor of the new dam. He has stated that he will not even debate with anybody representing The Citizens for Sustainable Water. He seems more like a lobbyist than a reporter.

And recall that Mayor Norris was a supporter/creator of The South Fork Rivanna Reservoir Task Force. Not only was its formation illegal according to some legal minds, but the panel was stacked with Sally Thomas' RRBC Board Members in violation of open government laws (refer to the legal opinion of The Freedom of Information Advisory Council http://foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov/ops/09/AO_03_09.htm ). Within days of its creation Mayor Norris appeared himself to read his instruction (4- Chairs which is not a governmental body) to not study the reservoir as a part of Community Water Supply Plan. He only wanted it studied for any other reasons. Some on the panel saw it as bait and switch.

This seems to sound like a private, by invitation only lobbying effort. Are deals being made in the coat room? Maybe this is the release event for the biggest Ã¢â?¬Å?Red Herring” yet. Ã¢â?¬Å?The current Ragged Mountain Dam is no damn good. She is going to blow and wash away Camp Holiday Trails”. Buy into this Red Herring and of course we need a new dam.

Cville Eye January 7th, 2010 | 5:20pm

Ã¢â?¬Å?The RWSA is pursuing a businesslike approach,” says Albemarle Board of Supervisors chair Ken Boyd. He says the Authority is Ã¢â?¬Å?taking a step back, gathering all the facts, and making a decision based on solid data, honest comparisons, and what is best for their customers.”
This statement alone is precisely why I could NEVER vote for Ken Boyd for Congress. It shows total lack of good judgment which leads straight to bad governance. It also makes me wonder whose interests is he married to.
What is thepurpose of havig a panel discussio including the city's Mayor, the executive director of the newspaper Charlottesville Tomorrowadwater Authority's executive director? What exactly do the regional Chamber of Commerce and the electric power company hope to to accomplish? What's the title of this discussion or is it supposed a free-for-all? Will Charlottesville Tomorrow produce a podcast rrrrrrri Who is moderating thisafair?

getoverit January 7th, 2010 | 6:46pm

Charlottesville Tomorrow's Information is the only publicly available unbiased, factually accurate information. The Hook is just a slutty mouthpiece for Betty, Rich, Kevin, Richard, and Joe. Call a spade a spade, I say!

Cville Eye January 7th, 2010 | 6:53pm

@getoverit, And you are married to whom? I'd be interested in knowing what you claim that the Hook or cvillewater.info has published on its website that isn't true. Otherwise, you appear to be a stereotypical brain-dead cheerleader cheerlng on your team after it lost the national championship. We want facts HERE, sister!